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Does Islamic revival=social deprivation
The growth of Islam in the Central Asian Republics i.e. Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, Tajikstan, Krygyzstan and Turkmenistan has particularly
perturbed both the national governments as well as western governments like
America. Though the rise of Islam is not a new phenomenon, in the aftermath
of the September 11th 2001 World Trade Centre bombing the ‘west’ has been
attempting to rationalise the rise of what they term as ‘Islamic extremism’.
Such rationalisation is not merely based upon the overt and sinister motive
to present what is ‘acceptable Islam’ i.e. secularised and
non-political in order to take necessary measures
to root out Islam altogether from the political landscape. Rather it is also
related to the perplexing problem of how to identify its causes in order to
stem its exponential growth.
And social scientists and western think tanks believe they have found its
causes i.e. the social deprivation and economic stagnation that rampages the
Muslim communities, countries and regions linked to their jealousy of the
flourishing western way of life.
The argument that is presented is very simple: Desperate people take
desperate measures.
The solution that is offered is also simple: Remove the desperation of
the desperate people.
They view that Muslims living in social deprivation with no amenities turn
to ‘radical Islam’ out of desperation and religious idealism hoping it will
solve their problems and they react to their deprived status with vocal and
physical resentment of their governments and the ‘west’ who they hold
responsible. To solve this problem, its is argued that substantial social
and financial investment needs to be made in the Muslim communities,
countries and regions in order to raise the standard of living, thereby
elevating the social and economic situation of Muslims. The impact of this
would be the absence of any agitation that currently fuels the rise of
Muslim extremists.
The above is what has been documented increasingly in recent news articles
and social reports regarding the causes and solutions to the phenomena in
the rise of Islam in the Central Asian Republics, around the world and run
down inner city areas of western states.
However such a perception needs to be studied carefully and presented in its
correct view with regards to this Islamic revival.
It is known that human beings motivation to change their situation is
heightened when they encounter problems, irrespective of their ideology or
beliefs. The more acute and severe the problem – the more urgency man has to
find a solution. Therefore a starving man has more urgency to find food than
one who has eaten and a man supporting his family has more urgency to seek
employment than a single man financially supported by his parents. It also
noticed in history that governments, particularly in the developing world,
have changed by those who put them in power, whether the people themselves
or external governments, because they have created problems for those that
put them in power. With regards to solutions for these problems - it is
correct that to reduce the urgency of a man to steal is to provide him with
food and drink and to reduce the urge for radical change due to lack of
provisions is to provide such provisions to temper this urge.
All this would suggest that the ‘west’ have comprehensively and correctly
understood the causes and solutions of the Islamic revival. However this is
only half the truth. In actuality there is something more fundamental that
is driving the Islamic revival to which the problems faced by Muslims is
attached. It is when any nation has problems defined from a particular
belief and viewpoint which defines success and failure in a unique way and
provides a detailed view to all problems and provides comprehensive
solutions from this unique basis.
For the Muslims it is the comprehensive comprehension of the Islamic Aqeedah
and the desire to implement it as a complete way of life.
This understanding is helped with the example of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam). He (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had social status, nobility and
financial security. In essence therefore, by the above model, there was no
personal social or material loss or trigger that would have prompted him (Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) to seek the complete transformation of both the society he
lived in and the whole world, since he had no perceivable social or material
problems. This situation was also true of many of the prominent Sahabah (ra)
that had come from secure and privileged social backgrounds Rather the
problem that was felt by Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was the
existence and domination of Kufr (non-Islam) and the absence of Islam as a
State established solely upon the Islamic Aqeedah. Social and material
wealth thereby became meaningless unless it was gained through a process
that Islam legitimised. Likewise today, a politically strong I state (none
exist) with a high standard of living (Gulf States) but was not established
solely upon Islam (all states in the world) is considered a grave problem by
Muslims.
And Allah (Subhanahu Wa ta’ala) says in His noble book,]
“And fight them until oppression is no more.”
[ Al-Baqarah: 193]
And He (Subhanahu Wa ta’ala) says,
“The only Deen acceptable to Allah is Al-Islam”
[ Al'-Imran: 19]
And He (Subhanahu Wa ta’ala) says,
“There may be a thing that you like but Allah has
made bad for you. And there may be a thing that you dislike but Allah had
made good for you; and Allah Knows and you know not.” [ Al-Baqarah:
216]
Therefore the occupation of Muslim lands, exploitation of the resources of
the Muslims and the political and intellectual slavery to the bankrupt
capitalist way of life – as defined by the reality but legislated by Islam
as problems obliges Muslims to work politically to establish the Islamic
Khilafah System. And such a view, again in contradiction to the western
model, is seen to be held by socially and financially secure Muslims
residing both in the East and the West in addition to those who have no
security.
Likewise, the solution that the west offers to resolve the rise of Islam is
flawed and not simply because it incorrectly identified the cause. Rather,
following a path of generating social and financial security for the Muslims
and allowing them control of their own resources and political destiny would
lead to the demise of the high standard of living and political control that
the west currently enjoys. These luxuries were built through the
exploitation and control of the Muslim resources and political control they
engineered through puppet rulers.
In conclusion, though people are motivated for change due to the social and
material problems they face it is clearly not dependent upon social and
material problems. Rather it would be established upon the problems as
identified by a belief that demands a fundamental and comprehensive
political change, even if the people had social and material wealth, since
the way of life they live is not compatible with their belief. For the
Muslims, the revival is premised upon the recognition that Islam is the only
correct system to be applied in life. Though it will elevate the social,
moral and material welfare of both Muslims and non-Muslims to a level
unrivalled by any other belief or ideology, the motivation to establish the
Islamic System i.e. the Khilafah is because it is a command established upon
the Islamic Aqeedah.
The Islamic Aqeedah has defined the absence of the Khilafah a grave problem
and its existence as the solution to the predicament that ravages the Muslim
world and indeed the whole world i.e. the immorality, exploitation, greed
and corruption of the capitalist ideology.
So it is evident when one looks to the revival that is taking place within
the Muslim nation, that Muslims from all backgrounds: black or white, rich
or poor, secure or insecure, literate or illiterate, residing in the east or
residing in the west, man or woman, young or old – have responded to the
call of Islam to remove the problem of today i.e. the rule of non-Islam over
the Muslims and indeed the whole world. And Allah (Subhanahu Wa ta’ala) says
in the His noble book,
“O you who believe, answer the call of Allah and
His messenger to that which gives you life…”[ Al-Anfal: 24]
This analysis will surely twist the dagger further into the hearts of the
enemy as they realise their attempts of material seduction will only fail.
It will also dawn on those with political vision amongst the western
thinkers and policy makers that to end the rise of Muslims and Islam is to
quell the cause. Since the cause is the existence and domination of their
imposed corrupted way of life…what can they possibly do?
And Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said,
“This matter will be as the day and the night:
Allah will make this Deen enter into every house of every inhabitant of the
deserts, of villages, of towns, of cities, with glory or with disgrace.
Allah will give glory to Islam, and Allah will bring disgrace upon Kufr.”
[At- Tabarani, Ahmed]
Burhan Hanif
Comment 1 The correct
will is one of the conditions that must exist in the carrier of the dawah(call
to Islam). But from where does the correct will come and why is it
that certain men begin to carry the dawah only for
their motivation to vanish later?
The correct will can only be produced from an asl (origin) that is
decisive and conclusive. If the will originated from anything less, such as
the result of a certain psychological state, then definitely the power
driving the carrier of the dawah will fade. The asl that the correct
will is built upon is therefore the rational creed i.e. the Islamic aqeeda
which is the decisive Iman that matches the reality. This is the energy that
drives the carrier of the dawah which makes him a fire that burns away the
mischief on earth and a light that guides to the straight path. So the
motivation should remain as long s the intellectual signs of the planets and
stars remain.
(see
how
the Aqeedah should be established and
The
Unique Aqueedah of Islam )
Comment 2
It is easy for English speakers to fall into the trap of looking at ayat
(verses) of the Qur’an from an un-Islamic point of view, simply because of
the language. Behind every word in every language there is a concept that
has developed according to that particular culture. The Qur’an is the peak
of languages and the foundation of the greatest of cultures. Often English
words carry quite different concepts to the Quranic ones. A clear example is
the use of the words oppression and
oppressor
These words are important because they are fundamental concepts that affect
how societies see themselves. they are important for us because Allah(swt)
and his noble Messenger(saw) have addressed us about them.
Modern psychologists derive
their definition from a materialist/Marxist (kufr) philosophy. This is
obviously unacceptable and potentially dangerous
for the English speaking Muslims.Lets examine the western
definition of oppression.It simply means to deprive people of their
needs related to physical sensations (economic
prosperity,education,comfort).The physical or instinctive feeling may cause
the person to sense the physical oppression which deprives their basic
rights or abuses them.We have to use the word 'Zulm'.However
the meaning of 'Zulm' differs from the meaning of 'oppression'.Allah(s.w.t)
says in the Quran:"The shirk is a great
oppression(zulm)." [ 31:13].In another ayat Allah(s.w.t)
describes zaalimoon(oppressors) as "And those who
do not rule by whatever Allah has revealed are the oppressors (zalimoon)".In
this ayah, Allah (swt) illustrates the distinction between the intellectual
sensation and the other types of sensation. These ayahs are directing the
Muslims to look to things from the Islamic perspective, which would lead to
the realization that associating anything with Allah (swt) in any aspect of
Tawheed, whether in the creation, in obedience, or in submission, is far
greater than any other type of physical or instinctive oppression. Only
Muslims who believe in Islam can feel the seriousness of this type of
oppression.
Related
Approaching the Quran truly,and completely - Though the
beautiful recitation of the Qur’an does have a unique effect upon man, it
does not mean that the Qur’an was revealed solely for this effect. When this
virtue is confused with the purpose, it leads to a dangerous situation. Such
Muslims will have little cause during their lives to turn to the Qur’an in
any form whatsoever, other than at times of severe strife or stress. And
even at such times for a limited use
The
failure to revive Islam - This lack of understanding arose as
a result of detaching the vitality of the Arabic language from the energy of
Islam. The vitality of the Arabic language is essential for understanding
the Miracle of Quran. Although many scholars debate exactly what constitutes
the Miracle of Quran, i.e. , laws and rules, even the prophecies,
there can be no doubt that whilst the Quran contains all these phenomenon
its Miracle is its linguistic style - the Arabic language
Understanding Revival
Thinking(tafkeer)
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